31 May 2010

The name is confusing - It is Milan minestrone, but from a part of the city that is called Genova (Hotel Genova is still present there). My dear neighbour (Nona Teresa) gave this recipe to me. Best served during the winter, when our bodies need all those vitamins and warmth. Enjoy!

Method:Heat the oil in a big pot, fry onion until it starts to change colour, add bacon, carrot and other vegetables. Cook for a few minutes, then pour hot water and add all the spices and tomato paste. When starts boiling add potato and pasta. Cook 10-12 minutes.Serve with a little of Parmesan on top.

29 May 2010

Red Velvet Cake was mentioned on 'Oprah' once, and I had to try it. My boys love it!

Ingredients:250 g butter, very soft3 eggs1 1/3 cups caster sugar2 teas cocoa60 ml red food colour2 1/2 cups flour, sifted1/2 teas salt1 cup buttermilk1 teas vanilla extract1 teas baking soda1 teas vinegarWhite frosting: 1 1/2 cups milk3 tbs flour1 teas vanilla extract250 g butter1 cup icing sugarMethod:All ingredients should be taken out of fridge to warm.Preheat oven to 180*C, prepare 2 cake tins (22 cm). In the bowl of a mixer cream together butter, sugar and eggs until fluffy.Mix all wet ingredients (buttermilk, red colour, vanilla and vinegar), add to the bowl mixing for a minute more. Sift all dry ingredients (cocoa, flour, soda, salt) together and add to the bowl, folding carefully.Pour into tins, and bake for 25 min. Let it cool.Frosting:Mix flour with a little milk into a smooth paste. Rest of the milk put in a saucepan to heat, add vanilla. When hot add the paste to it, cook until thickened. Let cool.When cool, put in a bowl together with butter and icing sugar. Mix with high speed until creamy and fluffy.Frost the top of first layer with a 1/3 of frosting and set the second layer on top.Frost the entire cake with remaining frosting. (One part of frosting can be coloured for decorative effect.)Let it cool for at least an hour before serving.

Method:
Prepare your slow cooker, or an oven dish with a lid, big enough to fit into your oven.
Heat a small amount of oil in a pan. Salt and pepper lamb leg, massage a bit, then 'seal' it the pan. Turn couple of times.
Sealed leg put in prepared dish/cooker, add all the other ingredients, and leave for:
-7 hours at 120*C (ideal!),or
-5 hours at 150*C, or
-8-8,5 hours at 110*C
When ready, take it out on a serving plate together with better looking vegetable pieces. Rest of the juices and vegetables blend/process/mash; You'll get beautiful sauce/gravy. Pour on the sides of the serving plate.

Method:
If you're using 'Bread maker', put all ingredients in the kneading bowl in the same order as listed above. Program machine for pizza dough. When ready, take the dough out (on a floured surface), and divide into 3 big or 6 balls. Let it rest for 10-15 min, then roll out.
If you're kneading by hand, mix all ingredients together and knead for 10 minutes. Make sure that water is warm. Leave to rest (45min), then divide the dough as explained above.
'Margherita' topping:
On top of dough, spread good pizza sauce (recipe above - previous post), add some extra garlic, add a lot of Mozzarella cheese and a few basil leaves. Bake for 12-15 min on 200*C.
'Riviera' topping:
(For those who don't want tomato sauce - one of my favourites).
Olive oil, Spanish (purple)onions, garlic, black olives, anchovies and basil leaves.
Fry onions in olive oil, add garlic. Spread it on top of pizza, with the rest of ingredients. Bake until the edges are slightly browned.

Method:
Heat the oil and fry onions for a couple of minutes, then add tomatoes. Bring to boil, add the rest of ingredients and let simmer for 5-10 minutes. Blend it to finer consistency, or leave chunky.

Method:-Preheat the oven, bake hazelnuts 5-10 min on 175*C.-Prepare the loaf tin; spray with oil, dust with flour.- Put eggs and sugar into a bowl, and mix with high speed until fluffy. Mix in butter. -Fold in banana mash,hazelnuts, sour cream and flour(with baking soda).-Bake 45 min, or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.-Cool and enjoy!

- Preheat the oven to 180*C, oil and flour a cake tin (22 cm), or use the baking paper.-Melt the chocolate over double broiler, or in your microwave oven.-Mix eggs and sugar with high speed, until light and fluffy. Pour oil and vanilla, mix a bit more. Switch the mixer off, and then add flour, almonds, beetroot and chocolate. Fold in.- Pour into the cake tin, and bake 40-45 min, or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Leave cool on a wire rack.-Prepare icing: Melt the chocolate, mix in the oil.-When cake is cooled, pour the topping on top of it.

Australia is place where I feel 'at home'. I feel so close to the nature, people, culture... This sort of Friands are made only in Australia and NZ. (French have different kind of friands.)

Ingredients:1 1/2 cups sugar, powder6 egg-whites150 g butter, melted1 cup almond meal1/2 cup plain flour150 g berries, your choicesugar powder, for decorationMethod:- Preheat your oven to 180*C; spray Friand moulds with oil.-Put egg whites in a bowl, and with a help of an electrical mixer, make a stiff foam.Add sugar, spoon by spoon, and then mix in the butter.-Switch the mixer off, add almond meal and flour to the bowl, and fold in.-Spoon the mixture in the Friand moulds (or Muffin moulds) and add the berries to the top (if frozen - don't defrost). -Bake 10-15 min, take out on a cooling rack, and dust with sugar powder.

-Make a stiff dough (food processor can help, divide in 6 balls, cover with Glad wrap and leave rest.
-Meanwhile, heat the oil and add onions. Fry for a couple of minutes, then add mince and the spices. When meat is ready (loses pink colour)add the rest of ingredients. Cook for a few minutes more, and then let it cool. Heat the oven to 200*C, if you want to bake the Samosas.
-Roll out the dough balls (one by one)into a 23-24 cm circle. Each circle divide in 6 pieces (like pizza slices). Wet the edges with a brush dipped into water.
-On each little triangle put a spoonful of filling. Lift the corners of each triangle,and seal the edges with your fingers, applying pressure.
-Place Samosas on baking sheets, sprayed with oil, then spray all over again.Bake 10-12 min, or until slightly golden.
Samosas can be deep fried, if you're not concerned about the fat content.
Note: If you replace the meat with grated potatoes, you'll get Vegetarian Samosas.